Cabinet Office

Small Businesses: Billing

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of contracts tendered on Contracts Finder were awarded to companies signed-up to the Prompt Payment Code.

Alex Burghart: Government does not collate this information centrally. However, the list of suppliers who are signatories to the Prompt Payment Code is publicly available via the Small Business Commissioners website. Likewise, information from Contracts Finder, and the Find a Tender service are available under an Open Government License for external stakeholders to carry out their own analysis. The Government is a leader in driving payment performance improvement through its procurement and supply chains. In 2019, it introduced a new measure that requires bidders for large government contracts to pay promptly or risk being excluded from government procurements.

Cabinet Office: HappyOrNot

Cat Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department’s publication of government procurement card spending over £500 for April 2023, what training and development services were provided by Happy or Not Ltd for £1,794; and for what purpose will they be used by his Department.

Alex Burghart: Happy or Not Ltd provides digital evaluation services, and were part of a pilot to evaluate Leadership College for Government events in a new way. The pilot was unsuccessful and the Cabinet Office will receive a full refund. The Leadership College for Government, which sits within the Government Skills and Curriculum Unit, equips public and Civil Service leaders with the skills, knowledge, and networks to solve today's most complex problems. This includes designing, convening learning and networking opportunities. A key method of tracking how successful we are in reaching these aims is through robust and innovative evaluation.

Civil Servants: Vacancies

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of civil service job advertisements included information on salary band in (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23.

Jeremy Quin: Data on Civil Service Job advertisements which included information on salary bands is available below. This is presented on an annual basis, as Civil service jobs information is available on an annual basis rather than by tax year. 2021 - 59,413 (95.82%) of jobs listed on civil service jobs in 2023 include salary data*.2022 - 64,928 (95.90%) of jobs listed on civil service jobs in 2023 include salary data.2023 (up to 30 May 2023) - 27,644 (96.87%) of jobs listed on civil service jobs in 2023 include salary data. * salary data is defined as either salary banding (min to max) or where it shows the starting salary only

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what funding his Department provided to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021, (d) 2022 and (e) 2023.

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much funding provided by his Department has been spent on the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust’s Veterans Places, Pathways and People programme in each year since 2019.

Johnny Mercer: The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT) are a charity and are classified as a Non-Departmental Public Body of the Ministry of Defence and look after the Armed Forces Covenant Fund, which is worth £10 million each year. The AFCFT has worked with the OVA to help support programmes such as £499,471 for Op Fortitude, £5 million for the Afghan Veterans Fund and extra support for mental health programmes.

Department for Business and Trade

Iron and Steel: Manufacturing Industries

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the impact of increasing carbon costs on the steel industry.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: I refer the Hon Member for Sefton Central to the answer I gave him on 2 May 2023, UIN 182550.

Iron and Steel: Procurement

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the procurement of UK-made steel is prioritised in infrastructure projects financially supported by the Government.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: As a member of the World Trade Organisation’s plurilateral Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA), the UK cannot set procurement targets for public projects or any measures which favour, or indirectly discriminate in favour of, UK products or suppliers.However, we have worked with the sector to progress the recommendations of the Steel Procurement Taskforce, published on 22 February 2022, looking at how government and industry can work together to help the steel sector best position itself for success in public contracts. Most of the recommendations have been addressed through the updated Public Procurement Note (PPN), published in April 2023, which reflects changes to commercial best practice, commercial policy and business case appraisals while clarifying the scope of reporting requirements on steel origin data.

Iron and Steel: Carbon Emissions

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the UK steel industry is able to attract private investment in green technologies and decarbonisation in the context of the US Inflation Reduction Act and the EU Green Deal.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government remains committed to a decarbonised and sustainable steel sector and is working closely with industry to support its decarbonisation options. Industrial sectors (including steel) have already been able to bid into competitive funds worth more than £1 billion to support energy efficiency, innovation and decarbonisation.We welcome the EU’s ambition on climate and the emphasis placed on open trade and support for developing countries. However, the global challenges we face cannot be resolved through unilateral action. We support EU proposals for collaboration, including proposals for Net Zero Resilience Projects, and we are interested in exploring these and other collaboration options to enhance security of supply across Europe.

Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to conduct further consultations with employers on the potential impact of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill on (a) levels of safety and (b) industrial relations.

Kevin Hollinrake: Potential relevant impacts of the Bill on levels of safety and industrial relations will be considered as part of the Impact Assessments that will accompany each set of regulations that implement minimum service levels, drawing on evidence collected through the consultations on minimum service levels.

Sewage: Waste Disposal

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many sewage leaks have been recorded within their Department's estate in the last twelve months.

Nigel Huddleston: The Department for Business & Trade (DBT) was created on 7 February 2023. Since DBT was established on 7 February 2023, there have been no recorded sewage leaks within the Department’s estate. Between May 2022 and 6 February 2023, there were no recorded sewage leaks within the Department for International Trade’s estate.

Help to Grow Schemes

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what data her Department holds for (a) enrolment and (b) completion figures in relation to the Help to Grow Management scheme, published on 9 May 2023.

Kevin Hollinrake: As at the end of February 2023, Help to Grow: Management has had 5,395 enrolments to the programme and 3,340 participants have completed the course. We will publish updated enrolment and completion data in the autumn.

Hospitality Industry: Economic Growth

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of trends in the level of growth of the hospitality sector in the period since the end of covid-19 restrictions.

Kevin Hollinrake: We are working closely with the Hospitality Sector Council, a collaboration between government and the hospitality sector, to deliver the 2021 Hospitality Strategy, with the aim of building the sector’s long-term resilience. A Delivery Report showing progress made was published in March.The Council’s business-led working groups are considering ways to improve business resilience following the pandemic, including innovation and sustainable practices, energy efficiency, jobs and skills, local partnerships and improving access to finance.ONS inflation-adjusted data shows that the aggregate output of the hospitality sector in March 2023 was 0.4% above March 2022 levels, when most COVID-19 related restrictions were lifted. Output in the 12-months to March 2023 was 7.1% above 2019 levels.

Industrial Disputes

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to encourage the use of alternative dispute mechanisms in the context of resolving collective disputes; and if she will make statement.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government considers that the resolution of workplace disputes is a matter for the parties involved. The Government has established a dispute resolution framework to enable the resolution of workplace disputes as early as possible.Where there is a collective dispute between an employer and their employees, represented by a trade union, the Government believes that strikes should be a last resort. It is better to resolve disputes through dialogue wherever possible. The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) stands ready to assist the parties in reaching an agreement, where they both accept its involvement.

Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will put back by 12 months commencement of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill once Royal Assent has been received to enable employers to consider its implementation.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill will come into force on the day on which the Act is passed. The Government does not intend to delay this however minimum service levels in a particular sector will not come into force until secondary legislation is passed by Parliament, giving employers sufficient time to consider before implementation.

Industrial Disputes: Disciplinary Proceedings and Dismissal

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has provided guidance on employees' potential rights of recourse where taking part in industrial action and strikes has resulted in (a) their dismissal and (b) other actions by their employer.

Kevin Hollinrake: Guidance titled ‘Industrial action and the law: a guide for employees, trade unions members, and others’ is available on Gov.UKThis guidance sets out, amongst other things, the consequences for employees of taking industrial action and what recourse they have should they be dismissed by their employer.

Groceries Code Adjudicator: Staff

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many people worked in the Grocery Code Adjudicator in each year since 2019.

Kevin Hollinrake: Information on the staffing of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is set out in the Adjudicator’s Annual Report and Accounts which is published and laid before Parliament each year.The GCA does not employ its own staff but may make arrangements for staff to be seconded from any other public authority. It can also obtain support from temporary contractors. The numbers of secondees to the GCA at 31 March in each year since 2019 were as follows:2018/2019 – 6 secondees2019/2020 – 6 secondees2020/2021 – 4 secondees2021/2022 – 7 secondees2022/2023 – 7 secondees

Groceries Code Adjudicator: Finance

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much funding the Grocery Code Adjudicator received (a) from the Government and (b) in total in each year from 2019 to 2022.

Kevin Hollinrake: Information on the funding of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is set out in the Adjudicator’s Annual Report and Accounts which is published and laid before Parliament each year.The GCA is funded through a levy on the designated retailers which is approved annually by the Secretary of State. The total levy imposed each year from 2018/19 was:2018/2019 - £2 million2019/2020 - £2 million2020/2021 - £2 million2021/2022 - £1.9 million2022/2023 – £2 million

Conditions of Employment

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she plans to introduce legislative proposals on extending employment rights in this Parliament.

Kevin Hollinrake: Protecting and enhancing workers’ rights whilst supporting business to grow remains a priority for this government.The 2019 manifesto pledged changes to enhance workers' rights and support people to stay in work. The Government is supporting six Private Members Bills, which will deliver on these commitments – helping new parents, unpaid carers, and hospitality workers, giving all employees easier access to flexible working, and giving workers’ a right to request a more predictable working pattern.

Regulation

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 19 May to Question 183852 on Regulation, whether these archival records have been reviewed as part of the audit of EU regulations.

Kevin Hollinrake: As mentioned in our previous response (PQ 183852) records are reviewed before they reach 20 years old and the oldest records are reviewed first. Due to a backlog, we are currently reviewing records from the late 1990s/early 2000s.If records relating to regulation have been retained, they will be reviewed in due course.

Business: EU Law

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Written Statement of 10 May 2023 on Regulatory Reform Update, HCWS764, what changes to EU-derived reporting requirements could save businesses £1 billion a year.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government published an impact assessment on reducing the administrative burden of record keeping requirements under the Working Time Regulations which can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/retained-eu-employment-law-reforms The 10 May announcement is a down payment on the Government’s plans to reduce regulatory burdens for business, helping to unlock economic growth. It will be followed by further announcements setting out our ambitions for reform across the UK economy.

Venture Capital: Ethnic Groups

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to encourage company founders from BAME backgrounds to secure venture capital funding.

Kevin Hollinrake: I meet the Ethnic Minority Business Group regularly to understand the challenges and opportunities faced by ethnic minority entrepreneurs across the UK, including access to finance. Better data collection is key and the British Business Bank has piloted ethnicity data collection from venture capital firms, the findings from which will be published later this year. To help founders from ethnic minority backgrounds secure venture capital funding, the British Business Bank’s Finance Hub offers impartial information to help businesses get ‘investor ready’ including articles on how businesses can identify and access the finance they need to realise their growth ambitions.

Manufacturing Industries: Rules of Origin

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2023 to Question 185708 on Manufacturing Industries: Rules of Origin, whether her Department has (a) made an impact assessment and (b) conducted modelling on what proportion of goods manufactured in the UK meet the rules of origin requirements of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Nigel Huddleston: A complete Impact Assessment on the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will be published prior to scrutiny by parliament. The UK published its strategic approach to the negotiations in June 2021, which outlined how the agreement could give British exporters further opportunities to qualify for preferential market access. It is not possible to model the full range of real-world potential benefits and impacts as it depends on individual firm’s supply chains and investment decisions. As the CPTPP is implemented, UK business could diversify critical supply chains and further benefit from the Rules of Origin.

Department for Business and Trade: Departmental Responsibilities

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will publish the list of ministerial responsibilities for her Department.

Nigel Huddleston: Ministerial responsibilities can be found on GOV.UK here (under ‘Our Ministers’): https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-and-trade.

Department of Health and Social Care

Primary Health Care

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve patient access to primary care.

Neil O'Brien: We are investing at least £1.5 billion to create an additional 50 million general practice appointments by 2024 by growing and diversifying the workforce.We have recruited over 29,000 additional primary care staff, and there are nearly 2,000 more doctors in general practice compared to 2019.Our Recovery Plan for Primary Care supports practices to address access challenges by tackling the 8am rush for appointments, cutting bureaucracy for GPs and expanding community pharmacy services.

Protective Clothing: China

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost of storing personal protective equipment in China was per (a) day and (b) week in (i) February and (ii) March 2023.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Circadin: Licensing

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the merits of licensing melatonin for over 18s in the UK who are diagnosed with autism and related sleep disorders.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Patients: Information

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what requirements there are for NHS Trusts to provide (a) medication instructions and (b) patient information booklets in multiple languages.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Aaron Bell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on delivering the Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan.

Will Quince: We are continuing to make progress to deliver the 800 ambulances, 5,000 beds, and 3,000 additional virtual ward beds set out in our Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan.This plan is backed by £1 billion of additional funding.NHS England is working with Integrated Care Boards and Ambulance Trusts to review local demand and capacity and ensure plans are put in place to deliver these commitments.

Vaccination: Safety

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he last met the Chief Executive of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to discuss vaccine safety.

Maria Caulfield: Our Covid-19 and flu vaccination programmes have saved tens of thousands of lives across the country and helped to ease pressure on the NHS during a challenging winter. The UK has some of the highest safety standards in the world and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is globally recognised for requiring high standards of quality, safety and effectiveness. Ministers and officials correspond frequently with the Chief Executive and MHRA officials, including on the safety of medicinal products.

Blood: Contamination

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that people affected by the infected blood scandal receive compensation.

Maria Caulfield: The Government accepts there is a moral case for compensation. Interim payments were made last year to recognise the urgent need of infected people and bereaved partners enrolled on the existing support schemes. We are now considering Sir Brian Langstaff’s second interim report. As my Right Hon. Friend, Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office (Jeremy Quin) said on 19 April, we are very focused on responding as soon as possible after the Inquiry concludes this autumn. This does not preclude earlier announcements as we progress our work.

Cancer: Diagnosis

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the early diagnosis of cancer.

Helen Whately: The earlier we diagnose cancer, the better the outcomes for patients.That’s why we’re speeding up diagnosis of the most common cancers e.g., skin cancer with tele-dermatology, bowel cancer through Faecal Immunochemical Testing, and prostate cancer through multiparametric MRI; increasing targeted screening for breast cancer and lung cancer; investing in 160 new community diagnostic centres; and tackling variation in cancer waiting times around the country.Thanks to the hard work of so many people in cancer services around the country, the NHS hit the ‘faster diagnosis standard’ for the first time in February.And – looking ahead - we’re investing in innovations like the Galleri blood test which may be able to detect cancer before people even have symptoms.

Incontinence: Products

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the use of clinically unsuitable absorbent continence products in (a) the NHS and (b) social care on (i) whole system costs and (ii) patient outcomes.

Will Quince: All suppliers and products on the NHS Supply Chain framework must meet industry standards and a quality specification to be awarded onto the framework. Products are categorised using the Rothwell scale which measures the level of absorbency.NHS Supply Chain (NHSSC) conducts significant engagement with colleagues across health and social care to ensure that the customer voice is captured, and National Health Service requirements understood. NHSSC engages with suppliers, trade associations, professional bodies and expert reference groups to ensure robust and sustainable frameworks are put in place for the longer term, both commercially and from a supply resilience perspective, whilst meeting the functional and safety needs of customers and patients.In addition, the Government's new Medical Technology Strategy, published in February 2023, further commits to developing an environment that supports the understanding and delivery of value for money and affordability across the whole patient pathway, using high-quality data to ensure that prices are reasonable for both the health system and sustainable for suppliers.

Immunosuppression: Vaccination

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to include people who are immunocompromised in clinical trials for vaccines.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to further include people who are immunocompromised in clinical trials for vaccines.

Will Quince: The Department funds research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including vaccines and immunosuppression. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.The NIHR has recently commissioned the new STRAVINSKY study with £2.8 million of funding which will involve 3000 immunocompromised participants over two years looking at which immunosuppressed people remain at greatest risk of severe COVID-19 infection after vaccinations. The UK Research and Innovation, Vaccines Taskforce and NIHR have also together funded OCTAVE and OCTAVE-DUO which examine the immune response to COVID-19 vaccines and durability of this protection in patients who are immunosuppressed.

Ophthalmic Services: Special Educational Needs

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to make a decision on funding for primary ophthalmic services for children in non-residential special schools.

Neil O'Brien: NHS England are considering the evaluation of the special school programme, to determine how services to meet the eye care needs of children with learning disabilities in non-residential school settings should be commissioned, and will set out next steps shortly.

Organs: Donors

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department is providing to the Department of Health Northern Ireland on ensuring the effective implementation of the Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill.

Neil O'Brien: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) have provided support to the Department of Health Northern Ireland and the Public Health Agency throughout the process of enacting the Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Act.NHSBT has used its expertise in implementing opt-out legislation in other countries of the United Kingdom to help the Department of Health Northern Ireland develop a comprehensive implementation plan for this change.As the designated authority for organ donation and transplantation across the UK, NHSBT nursing teams will continue to support families of potential organ donors and work alongside clinical teams in Northern Ireland. Their training is now complete and they are fully prepared to initiate the implementation phase starting from June 1, 2023.

Organs: Donors

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to maximise organ donation in (a) England and (b) Northern Ireland.

Neil O'Brien: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is focusing on encouraging people across the United Kingdom to register their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register to increase the number of donor organs available and help to save lives across the UK. Approximately nine in 10 families support organ donation going ahead when they know it is what their loved one wanted. Across the year NHSBT will deliver various activities to encourage people to register. This includes activities across its existing channels, through the media and via strategic partnerships such as the ongoing partnership with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. These are all utilised particularly at key times such as Organ Donation Week in September.In Northern Ireland, following the passing of the Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Act, NHSBT nursing teams will continue to support families of potential organ donors and work alongside clinical teams to ensure the effective implementation of this. Organ donation is a devolved policy, but NHSBT has a UK wide remit.

IVF: Health Services: Congleton

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to take steps to help ensure that the provision of IVF is (a) efficient and (b) compassionate for people requiring IVF services in Congleton constituency.

Maria Caulfield: Funding decisions for health services in England, including in vitro fertilisation (IVF), are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. We would therefore expect Merseyside and East Cheshire ICB to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, ensuring fair and equal access to fertility treatment for the people of Congleton.

Brain: Tomography

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to support the development of artificial intelligence in brain imaging.

Will Quince: The Department is funding the AI in Health and Care Award which has provided £123 million to 86 artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The Award was created to accelerate the testing and evaluation of some of the most promising AI technologies that can support clinicians.One of the areas supported by the AI Award is brain imaging. We are currently evaluating the Brainomix e-Stroke Suite, a CE-marked set of tools that uses artificial intelligence methods to interpret acute stroke brain scans, and helps doctors make the right choices about treatment and the need for specialist transfer of patients. E-stroke suite is currently deployed in nine stroke networks in the United Kingdom. We are also funding the first real world testing of Qure.ai’s qER, a triage and notification AI tool that prioritises head CT scans with critical abnormalities such as a bleed, fracture, mass effect or midline shift for priority review by a radiologist and Icometrix’s icobrain which uses AI on MRI scans to track the progress of multiple sclerosis.

Health Professions: Recruitment and Training

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to increase the (a) training and (b) recruitment of medical staff who were born in the UK.

Will Quince: The Government has funded an additional 1,500 undergraduate medical school places per year for domestic students in England, a 25% increase, taking the total number of medical school training places in England to 7,500 each year. This expansion was completed in September 2020 and has delivered five new medical schools in England.In addition, the Government temporarily lifted the cap on medical school places for students who completed A-Levels in 2020 and in 2021 and who had an offer from a university in England to study medicine, subject to their grades. As a result of this temporary change, the intakes for 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 were 8,405 and 8,460 respectively, significantly above the planned expansion cap of 7,500.NHS England has been commissioned to produce a long-term workforce plan. The Government has committed to publishing the plan shortly which will include independently verified forecasts for the number of healthcare professionals required in future years, taking account of improvements in retention and productivity. The workforce plan is for the whole of the National Health Service workforce.

Hospitals: Construction

Dean Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on determining the successful bids for the government's New HospitalProgramme.

Will Quince: We received 128 expressions of interest for new hospitals and the Government has now confirmed that five of these schemes will join the New Hospital Programme.These hospitals all have significant amounts of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, and have been independently assessed as unsafe to operate beyond 2030. Government is therefore prioritising these major rebuilds. Considering this, the Government is not inviting further schemes to join the programme at this time. Going forward, new schemes will be considered through a rolling programme of capital investment in hospital infrastructure to secure the building of new hospitals beyond 2030.

Social Workers: Pay

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the inclusion of the NHS social enterprise workforce within NHS Agenda for Change pay scales.

Will Quince: As National Health Service social enterprises are independent providers, they remain free to develop and adopt the terms and conditions of employment that best help them attract and keep the staff they need. This includes the pay scales that they choose to use and many choose to mirror those of NHS employees on the Agenda for Change contract.

Clotrimazole: Standards

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability and supply of Canesten HC cream.

Will Quince: The Department is aware of a supply issue with Canesten HC cream. The manufacturer has advised that stock should be available from wholesalers in mid June. Alternative treatments remain available and patients should talk to their clinician to discuss treatment options.

Diabetes: Health Services

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with NHS England on increasing access to diabetes healthcare teams in (a) Leicestershire (b) Bosworth and (c) the rest of the UK.

Helen Whately: The Department has held no discussions with NHS England on increasing access to diabetes healthcare teams specifically in Leicestershire, Bosworth and the rest of the UK.On 17 May 2023, the Government launched a call for evidence to inform the Major Conditions Strategy on how best to prevent, diagnose and manage six groups of major conditions, including diabetes.

Health Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how he will monitor the success of the Major Conditions Strategy.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the objectives of the Major Conditions Strategy will be.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on (a) environmental, (b) occupational health and (c) other cross-Departmental policies relating to the Major Conditions Strategy.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that delivery partners are adequately funded to carry out their responsibilities in relation to the Major Conditions Strategy.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department has allocated for (a) the delivery of the Major Conditions Strategy and (b) supporting disease management and prevention.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the Major Conditions Strategy interim report prior to the Summer Recess 2023.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the final report on the Major Conditions Strategy will be published.

Helen Whately: The objectives of the Major Conditions Strategy are to; alleviate pressure on the health system, reduce ill health related labour market inactivity and, improve care and health outcomes for those living with multiple conditions and an increasingly complex set of needs. These objectives are an essential part of our commitment to gain five extra years of healthy life expectancy by 2035, and our levelling up mission to narrow the gap in healthy life expectancy by 2030.Monitoring the impact of the strategy will be essential to determining its success. We are looking at opportunities within existing performance measures and frameworks to ensure we have an up-to-date understanding of progress against the Strategy’s key aims and objectives. The Government is providing additional funding of £3.3 billion in 2023-24 and £3.3 billion in 2024-24 to support the National Health Service in England.As part of the Strategy, we will identifying innovative actions to help alleviate pressure on the NHS, such as maximising use of new technologies to screen individuals for conditions. A timetable for the publication of the interim report this summer has not yet been finalised, and we will further consider to the timing of the final report once the Interim Report has been published.

Department for Education

Childcare: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 75 of the Spring Budget 2023, HC 1183, published in March 2023, whether additional financial support for childcare will be available for families who are not currently receiving universal credit childcare support before April 2024.

Claire Coutinho: In the Spring Budget 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children and the economy. By 2027/28, the government will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever.In future, working parents will be able to access 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks a year from the point their child is 9 months, to when their child starts school. This offer will be rolled out in phases from April 2024 to September 2025. The department is ensuring a phased implementation of the expansion to the 30 hours offer to allow the market to develop the necessary capacity, and we are working closely with the sector on the implementation of these reforms.We also announced that we will substantially uplift the hourly rate paid to local authorities to increase hourly rates paid to childcare providers, to deliver existing free entitlements offers. The department will provide £204 million of additional funding in 2023/24, paid from September 2023, rising to £288 million by 2024/25.This will include an average of 30% increase in the 2-year-old rate from September 2023, and means that the average hourly rate for 2-year-olds will rise from the current £6 per hour in 2023/24 to around £8 per hour.The reforms announced build on our current early education entitlements that the government offers, which includes a universal 15-hour offer for all 3 and 4-year-olds, regardless of family circumstances, the existing 30 hours offer for 3 and 4-year-olds, and a 15 hour offer for disadvantaged 2-year-olds. This includes low-income households and parents on certain benefits, as well as looked after children and children with Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.In addition to the entitlements, Tax-Free Childcare continues to be available to eligible parents. Tax-Free Childcare is available to parents who meet the same income criteria as the 30 hours offer and can be worth up to £2,000 per year for children aged 0-11, or up to £4,000 per year for disabled children aged 0-16.As part of the government’s biggest ever expansion to childcare provision, low-income families will be able to access increased childcare support worth a total of £900 million from 28 June 2023.Later this month, the Department for Work and Pensions will raise the amount that parents in Great Britain can claim back monthly for their childcare costs on Universal Credit, up to £951 for one child and £1,630 for two or more children. This is a rise of 47% from the previous limits of £646 for one child or £1,108 for two or more children.At the same time, the government will help eligible parents to cover the costs of the first month of childcare when they enter work or significantly increase their hours, removing one of the most significant barriers to parents working and helping to grow the economy.Those parents will also receive up to 85% of their childcare costs back before their next month’s bills are due. This means they should have money to pay for childcare one month in advance going forward.

Childcare: Fees and Charges

Nick Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing parents who do not wish to use the 30 hours of free childcare with grants to pay for relatives and friends to look after their children.

Claire Coutinho: In the Spring Budget 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children and the economy. By 2027/28, the government will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever.As set out in the Childcare Act 2006, the definition of ‘childcare’ excludes care provided for a child by a parent or other relative. The government has no current plans to extend the definition of childcare to include relatives. Friends or acquaintances known to the parent can receive government funding, but they must be registered childcare providers.Parents who are eligible for Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) or Universal Credit (UC) Childcare can use it to pay for any childcare provision registered with Ofsted or a childminder agency. If a relative registers as a childminder and cares for a related child outside the child’s own home, or registers as a nanny and cares for a related child inside the child's own home, that childminder or nanny can qualify for TFC or UC.As part of the government’s biggest ever expansion to childcare provision, low-income families will be able to access increased childcare support worth a total of £900 million from 28 June 2023.Later this month, the Department for Work and Pensions will raise the amount that parents in Great Britain can claim back monthly for their childcare costs on Universal Credit, up to £951 for one child and £1,630 for two or more children. This is a rise of 47% from the previous limits of £646 for one child or £1,108 for two or more children.At the same time, the government will help eligible parents to cover the costs of the first month of childcare when they enter work or significantly increase their hours, removing one of the most significant barriers to parents working and helping to grow the economy.Those parents will also receive up to 85% of their childcare costs back before their next month’s bills are due. This means they should have money to pay for childcare one month in advance going forward.The government is also supporting families by providing additional cost of living payments of up to £900 for households on eligible means-tested benefits. Over 6 million people across the UK on eligible ‘extra-costs’ disability benefits will receive a further £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment during summer 2023/24, to help with the additional costs they face.UC improves incentives for parents to enter work. Claimants with children are entitled to a work allowance which is an amount they can earn before their benefit is affected. Once earnings are above their work allowance, a single taper is applied. This ensures their UC reduces gradually as their earnings increase.The government has consistently said that the best way to support people’s living standards is through good work, better skills and higher wages. To that end, the UC taper rate was reduced from 24 November 2021 from 63% to 55%, meaning that claimants can keep more of their earnings. At the same time, we also increased the work allowance by £500 a year, in addition to the normal benefits uprating.State Pensions, benefits, and statutory payments have been increased in line with the Consumer Prices Index for the year to September 2022, which was 10.1%. These increases took effect from April 2023.The government is committed to protecting vulnerable claimants by providing a last resort repayment method for arrears of essential services. The government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt.

Childcare: Fees and Charges

Nick Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of giving stay at home parents the same level of funding as that provided to working parents of all children over the age of nine months to access 30 hours of free childcare.

Claire Coutinho: In the Spring Budget 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children and the economy. By 2027/28, the government will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever.As set out in the Childcare Act 2006, the definition of ‘childcare’ excludes care provided for a child by a parent or other relative. The government has no current plans to extend the definition of childcare to include relatives. Friends or acquaintances known to the parent can receive government funding, but they must be registered childcare providers.As part of the government’s biggest ever expansion to childcare provision, low-income families will be able to access increased childcare support worth a total of £900 million from 28 June 2023.Later this month, the Department for Work and Pensions will raise the amount that parents in Great Britain can claim back monthly for their childcare costs on Universal Credit, up to £951 for one child and £1,630 for two or more children. This is a rise of 47% from the previous limits of £646 for one child or £1,108 for two or more children.At the same time, the government will help eligible parents to cover the costs of the first month of childcare when they enter work or significantly increase their hours, removing one of the most significant barriers to parents working and helping to grow the economy.Those parents will also receive up to 85% of their childcare costs back before their next month’s bills are due. This means they should have money to pay for childcare one month in advance going forward.The government is also supporting families by providing additional cost of living payments of up to £900 for households on eligible means-tested benefits. Over 6 million people across the UK on eligible ‘extra-costs’ disability benefits will receive a further £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment during summer 2023/24, to help with the additional costs they face.Universal Credit (UC) improves incentives for parents to enter work. Claimants with children are entitled to a work allowance which is an amount they can earn before their benefit is affected. Once earnings are above their work allowance, a single taper is applied. This ensures their UC reduces gradually as their earnings increase.The government has consistently said that the best way to support people’s living standards is through good work, better skills and higher wages. To that end, the UC taper rate was reduced from 24 November 2021 from 63% to 55%, meaning that claimants can keep more of their earnings. At the same time, we also increased the work allowance by £500 a year, in addition to the normal benefits uprating.State Pensions, benefits, and statutory payments have been increased in line with the Consumer Prices Index for the year to September 2022, which was 10.1%. These increases took effect from April 2023.The government is committed to protecting vulnerable claimants by providing a last resort repayment method for arrears of essential services. The government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the oral statement of 25 May by the Minister for  Food, Farming and Fisheries, Official Report, column 495, what plans he has to take forward the provisions of the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill on (a) a ban on live exports, (b) reducing puppy smuggling and (c) primates as pets,; and to what timetable.

Mark Spencer: We will be taking forward measures in the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill individually through other means during the remainder of this Parliament. This includes the manifesto commitments to ban live exports for fattening and slaughter and to crack down on puppy smuggling. We will also deliver the manifesto commitment to ban the keeping of primates as pets, which will be implemented via a statutory instrument to be laid this year.

Food Supply: Northern Ireland

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of staff shortages on the range of food available in Northern Ireland in the next five years

Mark Spencer: Defra is working closely with industry to help our world-leading growers, farmers and food producers access the labour they need. The Seasonal Worker visa route is currently available to the horticulture and poultry sectors across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland through to the end of 2024. The visa route allows overseas workers to come to the United Kingdom for up to six months to harvest both edible and ornamental crops and to help with the pre-Christmas surge in demand for poultry. For 2023 and 2024, 45,000 visas have been made available to the horticulture sector (plus 2,000 for poultry), with the potential for a further 10,000 visas available for horticulture if necessary. The additional 10,000 visas are contingent on sponsors and growers improving and abiding by worker welfare standards as previously agreed. This visa allocation will provide clarity and confidence to Northern Ireland businesses, who are seeking to plan for 2023 and 2024 harvests. We will keep labour market data under very careful scrutiny to monitor any pressures in key sectors. Defra is also working closely with the Home Office to make sure that the requirements for these sectors are understood across Government. The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Our high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources; strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. We produce 61% of all the food we need, and 74% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year, and these figures have changed little over the last 20 years. UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production, and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply. Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. Recognising the importance of food security, in the Agriculture Act 2020, the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report was published in December 2021. It considers the UK's food supply sources overall, noting that domestic production and diversity of supply are both important to our food security.

Rural Areas: Employment

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on encouraging young people to consider employment in (a) farming and (b) other rural occupations.

Mark Spencer: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues. Attracting bright new talent into land-based careers and having a skilled workforce in place is vital for the future of UK food and farming. The Government is contributing towards the establishment of a new professional body for the farming industry; The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH). TIAH is aimed at removing the fragmentation that exists within current learning and skills landscape for farming businesses, enabling the industry to drive greater uptake of skills, creating clear career development pathways and promoting the sector as a progressive, professional and attractive career choice. This includes leading a cross-industry initiative to address common negative misconceptions about the sector. We are currently piloting different approaches to building entrepreneurial capacity in those who wish to start their own land-based business or scale-up their existing business venture, including how to pitch effectively for land and finance, which are crucial for their success. The Government is also reforming post-16 technical education to provide clearer routes into skilled employment in agriculture and other sectors. A key part of this is the introduction of the new Technical Level programmes (T-levels) which include pathways in agriculture, environmental and animal health and care. Alongside apprenticeships this provides more opportunities and pathways for young people looking for careers in agriculture and horticulture.

Drinking Water Inspectorate: Finance

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding from the public purse the Drinking Water Inspectorate has received in each of the last five years.

Rebecca Pow: The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) is an autonomous specialist unit within Defra’s Floods and Water Directorate whose purpose is to regulate the quality of public drinking water supplied to consumers in England and Wales. The DWI raises the majority of its operational funding from a levy on water companies in accordance with the Water Quality and Supply (Fees) Order 2016 to deliver its regulatory functions. The amount of income from Defra funding is specifically for activities not accommodated by the Fees Order. The table below summarises the overall operating income of the DWI with a subset of Defra’s contributory funding in each financial year from 2016/17 through to 2021/22.  YearDWI income £mDefra allocation to DWI £m2016/172.940.3832017/183.120.0842018/193.380.0842019/203.170.1832020/215.080.1332021/224.450.133

Food: Allergies

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding was given to Solihull Council for new burdens resulting from the enforcement of legislation relating to allergen labelling changes for prepacked for direct sale food in the 2023-24 financial year.

Mark Spencer: Funding for the enforcement of Natasha's Law for 2023/24 has been rolled into the Local Government Finance Settlement. The distributions for each council are similar to the 2022/23 grant. The funding for each local authority was calculated to take into account the number of relevant officers and affected businesses and the additional time required during routine inspection visits. In the case of Solihull Council, this was £5,114 for 2023/24.

Agriculture: Biodiversity and Flood Control

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of over-grazing on (a) biodiversity and (b) flood management.

Mark Spencer: Through the Environment Act 2021 we have set a world-leading, legally binding target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030. To deliver these targets we will need large-scale habitat restoration and creation and we will also tackle pressures on biodiversity such as inappropriate grazing (which includes both overgrazing and undergrazing). The Biodiversity Targets Detailed Evidence Report assessed grazing as a pressure on natural and semi-natural habitats. The Environment Agency is currently reviewing and updating the Working with Natural Processes (WWNP) Evidence Directory. This will include key findings from the Natural Environment Research Council natural flood management (NFM) research programme and learning from the EA’s £15 million NFM pilots programme. This is due to be completed by December 2023. The WWNP Evidence Directory explains the effectiveness of a range of different measures from a flood risk and ecosystem services perspective. Findings in the Directory include how reducing practices such as the intensity of livestock grazing, can lead to less surface run-off and more infiltration. Over-grazing can reduce or remove vegetation, reducing surface roughness which negatively impacts upon the slowing of overland water flows. It can also increase soil compaction reducing infiltration. Both of these can contribute to increased flood risk.

Sewers

Matt Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure that sewage systems are upgraded.

Rebecca Pow: We recognise the importance of having a robust drainage system for now and the future. All English water companies have published Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans which outline improvements to drainage and wastewater systems over the next 25-30 years. These plans follow the priorities and expectations of the government, which are set out in published Guiding Principles. The next publication of Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans, in 2028, will be statutory and Government will have powers to direct companies to consider additional matters. In August 2022 the Government launched an ambitious plan to reduce sewage discharges from storm overflows. Delivering this plan will require the largest infrastructure programme ever delivered by water companies - £56 billion capital investment over 25 years.

Prostate Cancer: Public Lavatories

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to encourage the placement of sanitary bins in men’s public restrooms for the use of those affected by prostate cancer.

Rebecca Pow: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities manages Building Regulations and Approved Documents for provision of toilets in publicly accessible buildings, but powers in the Building Act 1984 and the Building Regulations 2010 cannot require sanitary bins in men’s toilets. Defra oversees policy and legislation with respect to the safe management of waste and of litter. However, Defra has no powers to compel the provision of sanitary bins as the maintenance of public toilets is usually a matter for the relevant local authority, and I would encourage the hon. Member to raise the issue locally. Councils have a duty to make arrangements for the regular emptying and cleansing of any litter bins that they provide or maintain. They also have the power to clean and empty litter bins provided in any street or public place. The emptying of litter bins must be sufficiently frequent to ensure that no such litter bin or its contents becomes a nuisance or gives reasonable grounds for complaint. Where public sanitary bins are provided in local authority provided toilets, the relevant local authority must ensure that bins are managed in accordance with the relevant waste legislation, including the Waste Duty of Care, and are responsible for the maintenance and repair of public toilets. Sewer blockages can lead to flooding inside homes and businesses and are expensive to clear.  There are measures in current water industry legislation to protect drains and sewers from damage due to misuse including pouring damaging substances down drains and sewers. Damaging these infrastructures is an offence punishable by a fine or, in more serious cases, imprisonment for a maximum of two years. Provision of healthcare services and how they should be managed is the policy responsibility of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Home Office

Asylum: Housing

Richard Drax: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her Department's policy that asylum seekers accommodated on asylum vessels will be able to move freely or have restrictions on their movements.

Robert Jenrick: As with all asylum accommodation, asylum seekers accommodated on vessels will be non-detained. If someone is late returning from a visit off the site, they will be contacted to ascertain their whereabouts. Those accommodated will be required to sign in and out of the site. Individuals will be subjected to security checks when they re-enter the vessel.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

UK Internal Trade: Labelling

Sir Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral evidence on 16 May to the House of Lords Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland Sub Committee, whether he has plans to introduce Not for EU labelling for goods produced in Northern Ireland for sale in Northern Ireland or Great Britain or in Great Britain for sale in Great Britain or Northern Ireland; and if he would make a statement.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral evidence on 16 May to the House of Lords Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland Sub Committee, whether he has made an assessment of the potential cost to UK industry of the introduction of Not for EU labelling in Great Britain.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral evidence on 16 May to the House of Lords Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland Sub Committee, whether he plans to consult UK retailers based in Great Britain over the introduction of Not for EU labels in Great Britain; and if he will make a statement.

Leo Docherty: There will be proportionate arrangements for the labelling of products, including product-level labelling for a subset of high-risk products, to ensure that internal trade moving in the green lane stays within the United Kingdom. Labelling requirements will apply to a targeted category of goods. These will be introduced in a phased way and we will support businesses in adapting to these new arrangements. These requirements will ensure that the same goods are on the shelves across the whole United Kingdom. This is the right approach to support and safeguard the functioning of the UK internal market. That is why, as noted in the Command Paper, we intend for these labelling requirements to apply UK-wide from October 2024. We will continue to work closely with industry in advance of those changes taking effect.

Uk Internal Trade: Labelling

Sir Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral evidence to the House of Lords Protocol in Ireland/Northern Ireland Sub Committee on 16 May 2023, if he will set out under what statutory authority the introduction of Not for EU labelling in Great Britain is being made; and whether the Government plans to introduce new legislative proposals to give effect to that labelling regime.

Leo Docherty: There will be proportionate arrangements for the labelling of products, including product-level labelling for a subset of high-risk products, to ensure that internal trade moving in the green lane stays within the United Kingdom. Labelling requirements will apply to a targeted category of goods. These will be introduced in a phased way and we will support businesses in adapting to these new arrangements. These requirements will ensure that the same goods are on the shelves across the whole United Kingdom. This is the right approach to support and safeguard the functioning of the UK internal market. That is why, as noted in the Command Paper, we intend for these labelling requirements to apply UK-wide from October 2024. We will continue to work closely with industry in advance of those changes taking effect.

Muhammad Sanqour

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Bahraini authorities on the arrest of Sheikh Muhammad Sanqour.

David Rutley: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office continues to follow matters that relate to human rights within Bahrain and is aware of the summoning of Sheikh Muhammad Sanqour on 22 May by Bahrain's Public Prosecution for "repeating inciting sermons" in a potential breach of local law. The Foreign Secretary has not made representations. We encourage those with concerns to raise them directly with the appropriate Bahraini oversight body.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Artificial Intelligence

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department uses automated decision making.

David Rutley: Automated decision-making refers to both solely automated decisions (no human judgment) and automated assisted decision-making (assisting human judgement). The FCDO is not using "automated decision making" tools or products.

Treasury

Treasury: Remote Working

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department spent on (a) IT and communications equipment, (b) chairs, desks and other furniture and (c) electronic fans, heaters and other equipment used for temperature control, to enable staff in his core Department to work from home during the financial years (i) 2020-21, (ii) 2021-22 and (iii) 2022-23.

Gareth Davies: Data regarding how much the department has spent on a) IT and communications equipment, (b) chairs, desks and other furniture and (c) electronic fans, heaters and other equipment used for temperature control, to enable staff in his core Department to work from home during the financial years (i) 2020-21, (ii) 2021-22 and (iii) 2022-23 is not centrally held in the requested format and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

Energy: Prices

David Linden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent meetings with SCOPE on their social tariff on energy campaign.

Gareth Davies: Officials from HM Treasury and the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero met with SCOPE in January 2023 to discuss energy-related needs and support for disabled people. In March, the Government set out its intention to consult in Summer 2023 on options for a new approach to consumer protection in the energy markets from April 2024 onwards. The government continues to engage with a range of stakeholders as part of its wider retail market reforms.

Treasury: Equality

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were employed by his Department to work on matters relating to (a) equality, (b) diversity and (c) inclusivity in (i) 2021 and (ii) 2022.

Gareth Davies: Where the number of individuals is fewer than five, as is the case here, we consider that to provide an exact figure and the additional details requested would constitute the disclosure of personal data. The first data protection principle requires the disclosure of third-party personal data to be lawful, fair and transparent. We believe that releasing the information would breach the first data protection principle.

Wines: Excise Duties

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to freeze the duty band for wine of 11.5 per cent to 14.5 per cent.

Gareth Davies: The duty band for wine between 11.5 and 14.5 per cent is a temporary provision to help the wine industry transition to the new alcohol duty system. From February 2025, the wine easement will come to an end and wine will be taxed according to its strength to ensure consistency of treatment across all categories of alcohol. All decisions on alcohol duty rates are reserved for the Chancellor as part of his Budget process and will be taken during the fiscal event cycle in the usual way.

Iron and Steel: Carbon Emissions

Bill Esterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer,  what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a carbon border adjustment mechanism on the domestic steel industry.

Gareth Davies: The government is currently consulting on potential future measures to mitigate carbon leakage risks, including the potential for a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The consultation is currently open, and the government is seeking a wide range of stakeholder views before taking any decisions. The government will respond to the consultation in due course.

Tax Evasion

Richard Burgon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people are employed by the Government to investigate tax evasion of people with assets worth over £10 million.

Victoria Atkins: The Government is committed to tackling tax avoidance, evasion, and all other forms of tax non-compliance. HMRC has considerable resources to tackle non-compliance in the tax system, including tax evasion. Within HMRC’s Customer Compliance Group (CCG), HMRC have dedicated Wealthy Teams with responsibility for tax compliance in this customer segment. As part of their role, they are key to delivering HMRC’s compliance response to evasion. Alongside the work of the Wealthy teams, the most serious non-compliance in the Wealthy customer segment is dealt with by specialist Offshore Corporate and Wealthy (OCW) colleagues in HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service. For data on the full time equivalent (FTE) employees working in HMRC's Wealthy Teams, I refer the hon member to my answer of 30 January 2023 to PQ UIN 131454 : Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

House of Commons Commission

House of Commons: Fairtrade Initiative

Navendu Mishra: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will publish a list of all items purchased by the House authorities for use on the parliamentary estate that carry the Fairtrade accreditation.

Sir Charles Walker: Catering Services at the House of Commons does not currently record details of all the Fairtrade branded products it purchases. Fairtrade is only one of a number of ethical trading schemes that exist within the food and beverage sectors. Catering Services procurement set minimum ethical criteria pertinent to the category and strong environmental and social commitments with all suppliers demonstrating that they operate to those standards via recognised third-party accreditation.

Department for Work and Pensions

Jobcentres: Staff

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many work coaches there are in Job Centres in the UK.

Guy Opperman: As of 1st April 2023 there are: 12,171 – Universal Credit Work Coaches1,868 – Legacy Benefit Work Coaches805 – Disability Employment Advisor (DEA) Total Work Coach, including DEA, is 14,844

Household Support Fund: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding his Department has allocated to Solihull Council under the Household Support Fund.

Mims Davies: The Household Support Fund is a discretionary scheme administered by the Department for Work and Pensions and delivered by Upper Tier Local Authorities in England to provide support to those most in need towards the cost of essentials. Over £2bn in support has to date been allocated through this scheme to support those most in need. The Department for Work and Pensions has allocated £2,816,718 to Solihull Council under the Household Support Fund for the period 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024. This information can be found here.

Housing Benefit: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding from the Housing Benefit subsidy his Department has provided to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in each of the last five years.

Mims Davies: Housing Benefit Subsidy provides funding for Local Authorities payment of Housing Benefit to citizens. Administration Subsidy is additional subsidy provided as a contribution to costs of administering Housing Benefit and includes additional subsidy for initiatives to reduce fraud and error. In the last five financial years, the Department for Work & Pensions has provided the following Housing Benefit Subsidy to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.  2018/192019/202020/212021/222022/23Housing Benefit Subsidy£44,185,481£38,496,991£36,662,102£34,061,670£32,425,208Administration Subsidy£586,962£535,131£541,496£513,412£536,326Total £44,772,443£39,032,122£37,203,598£34,575,082£32,961,534

Department for Transport

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls

Gavin Newlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the time allowed for road users to pay the Dart Charge for using the Dartford Crossing.

Mr Richard Holden: Users of the Dartford Crossing can pay the Dart Charge up to a year in advance and by midnight the day after travel. They can also set up a pay as you go account where their card will be automatically charged when they cross, or a pre-pay account which also offers a discounted rate. The vast majority of journeys at the Dartford Crossing are paid for correctly and on time (94.7% in the period May 2022 to April 2023 inclusive).

Motor Vehicles: Ambulance Services

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of dual crewed emergency ambulances entered service with Driver Vehicle Standards Agency Individual Vehicle Approval certification since 1 April 2022.

Mr Richard Holden: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency does not hold data on dual crewed ambulances that have entered service with Individual Approval certification.

Street Works (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2007

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the level of fix penalty notices as prescribed by The Street Works (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2007 which can be levied by county councils against utility companies (a) as a deterrent to breaching the regulations and (b) at ensuring local authority enforcement is sufficiently funded by those penalties.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had discussions with highways authorities on the adequacy of the level of fixed penalty notices as prescribed by Schedule 2 of The Street Works (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2007 in the last five years.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department keeps the level of fixed penalty notices under review, and my officials would be happy to have conversations with highway authorities on these matters.

Women and Equalities

Government Equalities Office: Policy

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will publish the Government Equalities Office programme of work for 2022-23.

Maria Caulfield: The Equality Hub comprises four units: the Disability Unit, Government Equalities Office, Race Disparity Unit, and the Social Mobility Commission secretariat. It is part of the Cabinet Office, and as such its annual accounts and priorities are published through their annual reporting. The 2022/23 Annual Reports and Accounts and the 2023/24 Outcome Delivery Plan will be published shortly.

Equal Pay

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what her timetable is for the pay transparency pilot.

Maria Caulfield: Following the response to PQ 186411, work on pay transparency will now fall within the remit of the new, independent, Inclusion at Work Panel. It will be for the Inclusion at Work Panel to decide how best to take forward the work on pay transparency. This includes whether a pilot is the best way to progress this work and if so, what the timetable for this work would be.

Equality

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what plans she has for the Equality Data Programme; and for how long the programme will continue.

Maria Caulfield: The Equality Data Programme was announced to improve the quality of evidence on barriers to opportunity in line with our on-going manifesto commitment to do so. In January 2023, the results of the programme were published by the Office for National Statistics on their website. We continue to work with ONS to link datasets together, through the Equality Data Asset, and to analyse information that best supports the development of evidence based policy.

Equality Hub: Pay

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many and what proportion of adverts for jobs in the Equality Hub included a salary band in (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23.

Maria Caulfield: The Equality Hub manages recruitment campaigns through Civil Services Jobs and all adverts include salary band information. Salary bands are a mandatory field within the Civil Service Jobs portal for all roles. We use the Cabinet Office pay scales when advertising roles.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Small Businesses: Carbon Emissions

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support small and medium enterprises to transition to net zero.

Graham Stuart: The Government supports UK businesses to meet their net zero commitments via the UK Business Climate Hub. Small UK businesses are encouraged to join the UN’s ‘Race to Zero’ initiative. Over 4,100 UK small businesses have joined this initiative. The Government has also committed to developing a dedicated energy advice service for SMEs to provide trusted advice on improving energy efficiency and decarbonisation.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Remote Working

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on (a) IT and communications equipment, (b) chairs, desks and other furniture and (c) electronic fans, heaters and other equipment used for temperature control, to enable staff in his core Department to work from home during the financial years (i) 2020-21, (ii) 2021-22 and (iii) 2022-23.

James Cartlidge: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Veterans: Advisory Services

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans have contacted the Veterans Gateway via phone call in in each year since 2019.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The requested operational information is not held by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The Veterans' Gateway is not operated by the MOD, but by a consortium of members of the charitable sector. In 2019 the MOD provided £250,000 in funding to the Veterans' Gateway. Responsibility for the relationship between His Majesty's Government and the Veterans' Gateway rests with the Office for Veterans' Affairs in the Cabinet Office.

Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what funding his Department provided to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021, (d) 2022 and (e) 2023.

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding provided by his Department has been spent on the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust’s Veterans Places, Pathways and People programme in each year since 2019.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Details of the funding received and dispersed by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT), including under the Veterans Places, Pathways and People programme, is detailed in the AFCFT's annual reports and accounts: https://covenantfund.org.uk/annual-reports/A report for the 2022-23 financial year will be published in due course.

Defence Serious Crime Unit

Sarah Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has for funding the Victim and Witness Care Unit of the Defence Serious Crime Unit from April 2024.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Ministry of Defence will continue to fund the Defence Serious Crime Command’s Victim Witness Care Unit (VWCU) from April 2024. The VWCU provides a single point of contact to victims and witnesses of serious crimes committed by persons subject to Service law in the UK and overseas. The VWCU is independent of the Chain of Command and provides holistic care and support to victims and witnesses, ensuring that each victim is afforded their rights in accordance with the code of practice for victims of crime.

Scotland Office

Cancer: Vaccination

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, with reference to his oral contribution of 29 March 2023, Official Report, column 1000, what progress he has made on organising a meeting with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on cancer vaccine trials.

Mr Alister Jack: I have raised this request with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. I understand the Minister of State for Health and Social Care is in the process of writing to the Shadow Secretary of State for Health in relation to the named constituent.

Prime Minister

National Security

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to his oral contribution of 2 November 2022, Official Report ,column 861, what the evidential basis was for his statement that Labour was committed to abolishing the armed forces, scrapping the nuclear deterrent, withdrawing from NATO. and befriending Hamas and Hezbollah.

James Heappey: I have been asked to reply.To assist the hon. Member, I have placed in the Library of the House documentation kindly provided by the Conservative Research Department, which outlines the evidential basis for this statement about the right hon. Member for Islington North’s (Jeremy Corbyn MP) security agenda.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Youth Services: Greater London

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the real-terms change to funding for youth services has been in each year since 2015 in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London.

Stuart Andrew: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 April 2023 to Question 181375.

Delivery Services: Advertising

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department have made of the potential merits of changing advertisement rules of delivery conditions for distance sellers so that they cannot advertise free delivery to mainland UK if they have terms of services excluding mainland UK addresses from free delivery.

Sir John Whittingdale: The Advertising Standards Authority’s rules make it clear that advertising materials must not materially mislead. This includes any advertising that includes false information, such as free delivery.Additionally, the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations prohibit misleading advertising. This includes delivery charges where applicable. If there are delivery restrictions or exclusions, these also need to be made clear from the outset. Where a business fails to take steps to comply, it can be at risk of action from enforcement bodies, including Trading Standards and the Competition and Markets Authority.The Government is currently reviewing the regulation of online advertising to provide additional protections for consumers from false and misleading advertising. Our consultation on the Online Advertising Programme (OAP) closed last year, and we will be publishing a response in due course.